Steve Bartman ball destroyed

[Passacaglia]

So, I'd heard about how the Steve Bartman foul ball had been purchased by Harry Caray's Restaurant, to be destroyed tonight. No big deal, who cares? However, as I'm riding the bus today at 6:30 a.m., the bus driver announces that she's going to take a detour because the Today show is covering the event (which, incidentally, is scheduled for 7:32 p.m., 13 hours from the current time). Okay, now I hate the guy.

Actually, it all ended up okay. The bus driver said she would look down the road to see if it looked crowded, and if not, she would drive down it. I thought this had disaster written all over it, imagining her looking down the road, thinking, "looks clear to me" only to have us completely stuck moments later. Turned out, everything was fine, and all the NBC trucks were a block over (where the restaurant is). I guess the CTA was just being cautious by having her take the detour.

[Neuqua]

This event went from really funny to downright creepy.

[WSUCougar]

[This block is normally reserved for derogatory Cubs-related humor. However, given the proximity of the 2004 MLB season and the likelihood that the Cubs will blow my Cards out of the water this year, I have instead substituted this community service message.]

BE COCKY! BE FUNNY! Be co-o-ocky, funny! Act like Rocky, and it's sunny! You are her Number One-y! So do it! Be cocky, annnnnnnnnnnnnnnd...FUNNY!

[Passacaglia]

This event went from really funny to downright creepy.

You're tellin' me...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/redeye/cs-040225downeycolumn,1,7215084.column


It's not fair to make innocent foul ball pay
Mike Downey

February 26, 2004

"Had she affections and warm youthful blood,

"She'd be as swift in motion as a ball."

Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene 5

Please, don't do it. I beg of you. Do not go through with this cruel and heartless act.

Do not murder this innocent ball.

Do not rip from it its cover. Do not tear apart its seams.

I call upon the governor of the great state of Illinois, a die-hard fan of the Chicago Cubs, to look into his heart, call off this inhumane execution and give this poor, unwitting souvenir baseball a last-second reprieve.

DNA evidence has yet to be offered to prove that this even is the ball hit so foully into the Wrigley Field stands on that terrible evening of Oct. 14, 2003.

We have but a lawyer's word for it.

A lawyer who peddled the sacred object for his own profit and sold his soul, like Judas pocketing 30 pieces of silver.

In betraying the ball, this man has caused it to be cast in public sacrifice to a city's sadistic, Bud-thirsty mob.

Oh, if only Gov. George Ryan were still in office, then by every cow that is holy, he would rush to 33 West Kinzie St., in a Chicago Police Department squad car, its siren wailing, to mercifully snatch from Death Row a blameless little orb that never brought harm to a living creature.

Won't you please join the thousands of us who wish to see this unjustly persecuted hunk of sporting goods spared?

Carry a protest sign to Harry Caray's this day and let your feelings be known:

SAVE THE SOUVENIR

UNFAIR TO FOULS

THOU SHALT NOT KILL BALLS

As a concerned citizen and a dues-paying member of FLUBS, the Friends and Lovers of Used Baseballs, I cannot overemphasize the importance of souvenir ball rescue.

There are plenty of good homes all over this great and caring heartland of ours for a cute, roly-poly, housebroken little ball such as this. It would be given a warm place to rest, kept dry and clean, introduced with great affection to guests. It would know the love of a child.

To have it destroyed, for nothing more than the public's amusement? How barbaric.

No one in Chicago of sound mind faults this badly scarred, stitched-up victim for its role in 2003's civic tragedy.

Even a man who had a hand in this, Moises Alou, has spoken loudly and clearly that he holds no ill will and wishes the subject to be dropped. And as the original Moses said, according to the Bible, be sure "that ye be not smitten before your enemies," which I take to mean more than just the Florida Marlins.

I cannot condone this senseless act of violence and destruction.

Therefore, I implore Mayor Richard M. Daley to intervene before it is too late. Send in the cops on horseback, the way your dad would have. Save the ball.

I beseech Oprah Winfrey. You have power. People listen to you. Form Oprah's Ball Club. Save the ball.

I invite Katie Couric of NBC's "Today Show" in her visit to our fair city Thursday to prostrate herself in the street outside Harry Caray's and refuse to get up until the restaurant relents. I will push to have Kinzie Street changed to Katie Street if you do. Save the ball.

I ask Sammy Sosa to send a telegram, urging tolerance and forgiveness for all malfunctioning equipment. Save the ball.

I ask George W. Bush to step in right now. There is no weapon worth destroying here. Save the ball.

This is murder most foul.

Look at yourselves. Shame on you. This ball is absolutely, 100 percent not guilty. Set it free.

If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit. Do what any good Cubs fan would do. Keep your hands off it. Let it go.

[SackAttack]

Do what any good Cubs fan would do. Keep your hands off it. Let it go.

:D:D:D

[tucker342]

This event went from really funny to downright creepy.

you could say that

[ice4277]

Why is this getting so much attention? Does the national media not realize that nobody but over-obsessed Cubs fans could give a shit?

[MrBug708]

Why is this getting so much attention? Does the national media not realize that nobody but over-obsessed Cubs fans could give a shit?

The Cubs fans have the ego's the size of Yankee's fans but the performance of the Arizona Cardinals/

[Neuqua]

Bug... Bug... Let's not talk about egos....

:)

[JAG]

That was a pretty entertaining explosion.

[JeeberD]

Go Astros!!!!!